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What Buffalo's lineup might look like in 2021 w/extra goalie + taxi squad |
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The National Hockey League is really trying to get things rolling on January 13 and their tentative agreement with the NHL Players Association is a big step in that direction. Yesterday it was announced that plans are in the works for a 56-game season with training camps set to open January 3 for the 24 teams that made the 2020 NHL Playoffs. The seven teams that missed out would open camps on December 31 giving them very little, but still very necessary, extra time to shake off nine months of cobwebs.
That means the Buffalo Sabres can hit the ice on New Year's Eve.
Some other notes via TSN's Frank Seravalli:
--there will be no exhibition games
--the season is tentatively set to end May 8 with the Stanley Cup being awarded the first week in July
--there are still some snags which includes ratification by the NHL Board of Governors and the NHLPA and what will happen with the five Canadian Provinces and any Covid-19 restrictions which will affect the "All-Canadian" division for this season
Also from Servalli, in addition to player escrow and salary deferrals agreed upon by the two sides:
--players may choose to opt out of the 2020-21 season
--no change to the rosters as they will be capped at 23 men with an $81.5 million salary cap
--a maximum of 29 players will be allowed to practice and travel with the club which includes the 23-man roster plus four to six members (number decided by the club) for the team's "taxi squad," which must include a goalie
--taxi squad players will be treated as if they were in the American Hockey League: they will need to clear waivers to be "sent down" and they will be paid an AHL salary if on a two-way deal
As of now the four divisions remain as previously laid out pending Canadian decisions on pandemic travel and restrictions. For the Sabres that means a division featuring: Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals. And, from Elliotte Friedman this morning on twitter, "playoffs will be top four in each division -- each division produces a champion for the Stanley Cup Semifinal."
That's a huge "ouch!" for the Sabres as they're trying to break a league-long, nine-year playoff drought in what might be the toughest of four divisions.
With that said, hockey's coming, Buffalo will be icing a team and this is what the roster and taxi squad might look like:
Taylor Hall - Jack Eichel - Sam Reinhart
Jeff Skinner - Eric Staal - Dylan Cozens
Victor Olofsson - Cody Eakin - Kyle Okposo
Zemgus Girgensons - Curtis Lazar - Tobias Rieder
Rasmus Dahlin - Collin Miller
Brandon Montour - Rasmus Ristolainen
Jake McCabe - Henri Jokiharju
Linus Ullmark
Carter Hutton
Those are the 20 givens with training camp and/or waivers-eligibility deciding the other three roster spots and the four to six man taxi squad.
We'll begin filling out the roster with Tage Thompson who is no longer waivers-exempt so he'll be on the 23-man roster and add in Rasmus Asplund who played one and a half seasons in Rochester plus 29 games for the Sabres last year. Asplund was also on loan for Vasteras IK in Sweden's second-tier professional hockey league and has 14 games under his belt so far this season collecting four goals and adding five assists. Buffalo signed veteran defenseman Matt Irwin to a one-year deal.
The taxi squad will be interesting as the team will probably opt to keep young players in the AHL for ice-time and proper development. If we start with the mandatory third goalie, the Sabres will probably assign 31 yr. old Dustin Tokarski to the taxi squad. The veteran goalie is on a two-year, two-way deal and should easily clear waivers. That would allow 25 yr. old Jonas Johansson another year in the minors to further develop.
Center Artuu Routsalainen was off to a roaring start for Ilves of Finland's top league, Liiga before the season was postponed. The 2019 free agent signee has 27 points (16+11) in only 19 games and should be making a strong push for a roster spot during camp.
Andrew Oglevie is set to begin his third pro season after two partial seasons with the Rochester Americans. The 25 yr. old forward is on a two-way deal and produced 39 points (20+19) in 83 games for the Amerks over two seasons. He is waivers-exempt.
Defenseman Casey Nelson has been in the Sabres organization since he signed a free agent deal coming out of college in 2016. Nelson has played in 151 AHL games and 93 NHL games and is signed to a two-way deal. He will need to clear waivers again.
Buffalo could stop there as they will have fulfilled NHL requirements and leaving it as so gives them room to expand should a player or two have an impact at training camp.
Many saw 24 yr. old defenseman Will Borgen as set to make a strong push for a roster spot this season. The rugged 6'3" 196 lb. righty has made marked progress in Rochester for two seasons and with a strong camp he could displace Irwin on the roster. And even though Sabreland has counted out forward Casey Mittelstadt, a good camp and/or a move to the wing could be his ticket to the NHL this season. Mittelstadt came to life in the second half of last season for the Amerks and was showing very good improvement before the season was halted. Having either or both of those two make the roster would be a huge plus for Buffalo.
One final possibility for either a spot on the roster or as a reserve is left wing C.J. Smith who's done yeoman's work since signing with the organization in 2017. Smith has spent nearly all of his time with the Amerks (57 goals and 129 points in 169 games) and didn't look too far out of place in 13 games for the Sabres (two goals.) With left side in Buffalo loaded up front, a one-way deal in his hands and a probable leadership role in Rochester, Smith may not be in the Sabres plans. However, a strong camp and the fact that he's not waivers exempt could put him in the conversation come January 13.
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